Weds: - 4/04/18. 65 treadmill, 20+10 minutes sauna. m-t-d workouts: 4/4. Run wasn't so bad today. I am not used to running more than 15 minutes at a time anymore. I was drenched when I was done. The good thing about running for a longer time, it gets all of the stress out of my body, and it makes me feel like a new person (a relaxed new person). Tomorrow I plan on back day #2, and 35 minutes on the stairmaster or maybe running again. I have mixed feelings about the stairmaster. It gives a good workout, but not as good as a treadmill. On a treadmill you can't cheat (I never hold the bar), but on the stairmaster, it is easy to lean on the machine while you are using it, and not even realize it. Or realize it, and continue to lean.

Fri: - 4/06/18. legs, abs, 20 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes sauna. m-t-d workouts: 6/6. 9 exercises / 45 sets / 560 reps. Abs: 1 exercise / 4 sets / 300 rep (4x75 slant board abs). Someone on this site used to calculate the number of exercises, reps and sets, and multiply it by the weight lifted, and get a total pounds lifted each workout (good for comparison). I would like to do that, but I would have to input the workout information into an excel spreadsheet, and I am not ready to do that extra step. My deal with myself is that if I ran for 30 minutes, I was going to eat extra calories today. Even though I didn't run for 30 minutes, I think I still am. Tomorrow chest, abs and more running. Happy Friday.

Sat: - 4/07/18. chest, abs, 20 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes sauna. m-t-d workouts: 7/7. 9 exercises / 45 sets / 480 reps. Abs: 2 exercises / 8 sets / 500 rep (4x75 slant board abs; 4x50 cable crunches, set at 80lbs). My nutrition mistake yesterday was going to Panera's. They sent an email for a free pastry this week. I should have looked at the Panera nutrition table on my phone first. I ordered a pecan roll, which unbelievably had 720 calories, and l think I recall 32 grams of fat. My other mistake was at McDonalds. I just went there for a coffee, but when I looked at my app, there was an offer for free medium french fries with any purchase. Seemed kind of stupid to refuse the french fries (340 calories). Those 2 items were my extra 1,000 calories from normal. I wouldn't mind if I enjoyed the 2 items, but the pecan roll I didn't really like (but ate every morsel), and the McDonalds french fries were not as good as I remember them. But maybe it was having french fries with coffee was the problem. I was on the verge of bingeing on food, having these extra calories got that out of my system. So I think it was worth it.

Sun: - 4/08/18. back training, 25 minutes treadmill, 30+15 minutes sauna. m-t-d workouts: 8/8. 7 exercises / 36 sets / 390 reps. My weekly weight today was 189, an increase of 4 pounds from the week before. The week before though, I fasted the day before because I was sick, and was poorly hydrated. So I am fairly pleased to be in the 180's for "real", especially since my nutrition has been above planned the last 2 days. I will be happy to be 188 (or less) next Sunday. I had pain in my elbow today when lifting, usually only arm training is affected. Tomorrow I probably will skip arms, and train shoulders instead, or just run.

Mon: - 4/09/18. shoulders; triceps, abs, 25 minutes sauna. m-t-d workouts: 9/9. 9 exercises / 46 sets / 460 reps. Abs: 2 exercises / 6 sets / 375 rep (3x75 slant board abs; 3x50 cable crunches, set at 80lbs). For the morning commute to NYC, I get on at the last bus stop, the bus then is express to NYC. Many times the bus is filled already, or maybe 5 in 100 morning commutes I get my own seat. Today, there were about 5 people on the whole bus. Tomorrow I plan to either train arms if elbow is feeling okay, or might run. Possibly take a rest day.

I feel like I crave fast food from time to time...despite knowing I won't enjoy it! I might like it in the moment--sometimes--but I know I'll regret it later. My stomach doesn't deal with that crap like it did ten years ago. But still there are times I want it. Pastries and other bakery items can be the same. I know those little mini cup cakes with the stupid amount of icing on them are just not good. But I could sit there and eat ten in a row.

Jaer
saw that McDonald's is starting to use "never frozen" beef. 95% of the brain is thinking "That's still going to be awful; we can make better burgers." but there's that 5% saying, "We should try it and see..."

I feel like I crave fast food from time to time...despite knowing I won't enjoy it! I might like it in the moment--sometimes--but I know I'll regret it later. My stomach doesn't deal with that crap like it did ten years ago. But still there are times I want it. Pastries and other bakery items can be the same. I know those little mini cup cakes with the stupid amount of icing on them are just not good. But I could sit there and eat ten in a row.

Jaer
saw that McDonald's is starting to use "never frozen" beef. 95% of the brain is thinking "That's still going to be awful; we can make better burgers." but there's that 5% saying, "We should try it and see..."

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To be honest, I don't feel any different when I eat fast food, as opposed to healthier food. I don't eat fast food often, since is not the healthiest food. That said, some of the food choices at fast food restaurants are not that bad, such as a grilled chicken sandwich. Regarding the cupcakes, I can eat those 10 mini cupcakes + another 10.

Running / walking today: 6.38; w-t-d: 10.91; m-t-d: 22.44

Tues: - 4/10/18. 65 treadmill, 20 minutes sauna. m-t-d workouts: 10/10. Today started as an arm training day, first doing barbell curls, but after 5 reps I knew arm training wasn't happening today. I had a lot of pain in my left elbow (again). Usually I don't get that much pain doing barbell curls, usually the most problematic exercise are concentration curls. I am going to try not training arms for a month, and see if the left elbow pain goes away. So with the change in plans, I decided to run. Tomorrow I probably will take a rest day, or if not, spend some time on the stair master.

Weds: - 4/11/18. rest day. m-t-d workouts: 10/11. Woke up at normal time to workout, but decided to take a rest day. But I did walk to the bus stop, instead of driving (I really wanted to drive). Also I climbed the 7 floors to my office, instead of the elevator. I can use the rest, and the stair master didn't seem appealing for me today. The day before yesterday, and yesterday, were the first times I ate an avocado in about 2 years. The last time, that tiny round pebble like hard thing near the stem fell onto the spoon, and I did not notice, bit into it and broke a tooth. I inspected these avocados for 5 minutes each before I ate them. The nutrition information below was the same as the day before, so I am not sure if I copied the day before's information by mistake, or I ate the same thing on both days (probably the later). Tomorrow is back day #2, and either the stair master or running. It is good I workout almost everyday, since this life of leisure could easily become a way of life. Usually I am on autopilot, and I don't even think about not working out in the morning.

Thurs - 4/12/18. back day #2, 15 treadmill, 20 sauna. m-t-d workouts: 11/12. 4 exercises / 24 sets / 270 reps. Abs: 2 exercises / 8 sets / 500 reps (4x75 slant board abs; 4x50 cable crunches, set at 80lbs). I am doing 2 width exercises (lat pull down, pull down machine), and 2 thickness exercises (t-bar rows, and seated isolateral rows) on the abbreviated back day. Abbreviated, but I am a believer in volume. I thought I would have more time for cardio, but ran out of time, but was able to squeeze in a run. I am not as flexible with the sauna time, I want to spend 20 minutes minimum after every time I workout. I ate the same calorie amount 3 days in a row, the last day while I ate some different foods, coincidentally totaled to the same total.

Friday - 4/13/18. leg training, 25 sauna. m-t-d workouts: 12/13. 9 exercises / 45 sets / 560 reps. 2 of the exercises are hip abduction machines, one machine you push out with your thigh, the other you push in. I sort of feel they are a waste of time, but I do them anyway. The only thing I like about them, is that I can do the maximum weight on the machine where you push you thighs out (260 lbs). Other exercises were squats, leg press, seated calf raise, hack slide, glute machine, prone leg curl and seated leg curl. I don't do leg extensions, once I stopped them, I never have had knee pain again (I think there is a connection). I could have run today, but I knew before I left for the gym I wasn't running today. In just 2 days of warm weather, you can see the buds on the trees opening. Once the leaves are on the trees, everything seems less dreary. Today & tomorrow are going to be in the high 70's. TGIF.

Up here, I think the growing season is behind you. I haven't seen anyone cut their lawn yet. If I cut mine, I would have nothing to cut. I am not complaining. Some of the early trees are blooming, and there are some daffodils in the front of my house that are blooming. I like things you plant once, and they grow back year after year (as in the case of the daffodils).

Unbelievable how much the weather is going to change by tomorrow. Brrrrr.

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What a change. At least it is not raining yet. I went to an Earth Day event, and almost none of the sponsors showed up. I thought it would be cancelled, but they still had it. My resolution for Earth Day is to start using the reusable shopping bags when I go food shopping. I have them in the trunk of my car, but almost always forget (or think about it, but am too lazy to retrieve them from the trunk), no more.

Running / walking today: 1.61; w-t-d: 4.69; m-t-d: 28.68

Sun - 4/15/18. back; abs, 15 treadmill; 30 sauna. m-t-d workouts: 14/15. 7 exercises / 37 sets / 400 reps. Abs: 2 exercises / 10 sets / 650 reps (6x75 slant board abs; 4x50 cable crunches, 3 sets @ 80lbs, 2 sets @ 82.50lbs). Had an excellent workout today. I didn't think I would be running today, since I woke up during the night with pain in my left knee (I jinxed myself when I spoke a few days ago about not having knee pain). I took an Aleve, and my knees felt fine when I woke up. I was going to give it a days rest, but I like to enter the sauna preheated from the cardio, so I start sweating from almost the moment I walk in. Tomorrow I probably will train shoulders.

I do the same thong with my bags, always forget until I'm about to check out. I recently started leaving my cart and near the register and getting the bags before checking out. Now, I am more likely to remember to grab them before going in. My turning point was seeing the floating island of plastic that has formed in the pacific ocean.

If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results. (Unknown)

I do the same thong with my bags, always forget until I'm about to check out. I recently started leaving my cart and near the register and getting the bags before checking out. Now, I am more likely to remember to grab them before going in. My turning point was seeing the floating island of plastic that has formed in the pacific ocean.

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Yesterday, I stopped at the supermarket for Greek Yogurt. When I get to the checkout, I realize I forgot the bags again. Instead of walking to the car to retrieve them, I didn't use a bag, and carried the 2 yogurt containers in my hand to the car.

Running / walking today: 0.00; w-t-d: 4.69; m-t-d: 28.68

Mon - 4/16/18. rest day. m-t-d workouts: 14/16. I took off from work yesterday, and didn't workout. I had my lowest steps taken during the year so far 1,917. Almost always, I hit 10,000.

It's such an American "thing" to always use bags and the cashiers are so accustomed to customers wanting them that they automatically start to bag orders. An example was yesterday when I stopped into a Staples to get a ream of copy paper and the cashier put it into a bag and I had to tell him to keep the bag.

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